How would I invest $1000? If I were just starting out again and had one thousand dollars to invest in the stock market, what would I do? Well, being PPC Ian and being a dividend growth investor, I would personally approach this investment dividend growth style. In today's video, I will approach this hypothetical question, and will share the 9 rules that would govern my $1000 initial investment, paving the way for a future of successful investing and personal finance:
(1) I would purchase one stock. That's right, I would not diversify, but I would rather stay focused.
(2) I would purchase that one stock in a dividend reinvestment plan or DRIP for short. I would choose a DRIP that has no fees or low fees.
(3) II would make a lump sum investment. Meaning: I would avoid dollar cost averaging the initial one thousand dollars, and would just get my money working for me right away.
(4) I would make sure to reinvest all dividends. Dividend reinvestment plans (see rule 2) make this easy. In selecting my stock and DRIP, I would want to make sure that there are no (or very minimal fees) for dividend reinvestment.
(5) I would make ongoing period investments of $25 or $50 once I have more cash (after my initial $1000 stock investment).
(6) I would target a blue chip stock, one that has been around forever and one that will continue to be around forever. This would provide stability and also a level of diversification.
(7) I would target 7% year-over-year growth in the dividend, over the long term. I'd look for consistent dividend growth.
(8) I would target a company with a payout ratio in the 50% range.
(9) Last, I would target a stock with a current dividend yield in the 3% range.
This strategy has the opportunity to deliver superb rules, when factoring in dividend growth, dividend reinvestment, and capital appreciation. That said, let's look at this from a conservative modeling perspective. Let's assume zero capital appreciation and no reinvested dividends. In that case, one would yield 23% on their initial investment after 30 years. Meaning, after 30 years, one would take home $230 in cash every single year from their $1000 investment. And, that's the conservative model.
I hope you enjoyed this hypothetical situation that shows what I would personally do in this situation.
Want to learn more? Following are some of my additional resources about dividend growth investing. Here's my video about dividend reinvestment plans:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0LySUgHwUU
Here's my video about buying stock with no fees with as low as $25:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWdptrcEKGo
Here's my video about starting yield, and why it doesn't matter. It's all about dividend growth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zdEaSrWmNQ
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.

As a dividend growth investor, I'm obsessed with dividends and cash flow. I invest to receive a growing stream of dividends over time. Within dividend growth investing (and personal finance overall), I believe yield on cost is one of the most underrated metrics around. Learn how the patience, persistence, and simple math can drive a 20+% yield on cost in your portfolio. Learn how a long-term approach could help you achieve your financial and life dreams.
http://www.ppcian.com
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.

Are you considering an investment in REITs (or Real Estate Investment Trusts) for dividends and cash flow? I personally own only one REIT in my dividend portfolio and consider my REIT an ancillary (non-core) position. That being said, I am in a unique situation because I work in the real estate industry and own a home (I am already over-weighted, at a high level, in the real estate industry). A subscriber question, today's video goes into a multitude of pros, cons, and factors to consider about investing in real estate investment trusts for dividend income.
* Do you work in the real estate industry? Do you already own a home? Do you own physical real estate investments? If so, those are all factors worth considering when contemplating REITs for one’s dividend portfolio. When looking at diversification, I don't only look at my portfolio. I look at all factors in my life. If the real estate industry tanks, I don't want to get hit on the job front, the home front, and the portfolio front all at once!
* Real estate investment trusts carry important tax considerations. As pass through entities, they avoid double taxation (and are required to distribute most of their earnings). That said, the shareowner has to pay ordinary income on dividends (as compared to long term capital gains on qualified dividends of most corporations). Long story short, the tax rate on dividends from REITs is higher than your typical dividend-paying corporation. Moreover, reporting REIT dividends on one's tax return can be complicated (the distributions sometimes involve ordinary income and return of capital). Learn why it's important to weigh tax considerations when investing in real estate investment trusts for dividends and cash flow.
* Since some REITs pay dividends on a monthly basis, they can help you stay in the game. Those monthly dividend checks are great for reinvesting and building one’s portfolio. A subscriber insight, I really love this idea!
* Interest rates are really low right now. As interest rates rise, some REITs may face challenges securing (affordable) capital to do deals. This could affect short-term and future prospects.
* The retail industry is going through a lot of change. When investing in REITs, it's a wise idea to understand exposure to retail.
* Sometimes, one can experience superior results by investing in real estate directly. It may be more effective to invest in rental properties than going the REIT route. That said, real estate investment trusts are easier since one does not have to actively manage the real estate assets.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

You like dividend checks. However, you are unsure whether you should pursue individual dividend-paying stocks or dividend-focused ETFs (exchange traded funds). Today's video, a response to a subscriber question, compares and contrasts individual dividend growth stocks versus dividend mutual funds (ETFs), through my personal lens. While I cannot answer this question for others, I can share my personal pros and cons when I compare the two, and how I decided to proceed in my personal stock portfolio.
Specifically, I cover:
* Two specific ETF (exchange traded fund) examples from a major ETF mutual fund family.
* Why starting yields may be a bit too low with ETFs.
* Why I love the control that individual, dividend stocks offer. (And, their lack of ongoing fees is nice too.)
* How one can derive more value (when stocks are "on sale") via individual stocks versus mutual funds (which offer a basket of stocks). This is a critical point. The stock market, in my opinion, is not efficient. By holding individual dividend stocks, I get to buy bargains all the time.
* When ETFs and mutual funds may make sense (namely retirement accounts where individual stocks are not an option, or those that have smaller portfolios without the prospect of large-scale growth).
* How I hope and dream that everyone watching has a million dollar (or more) dividend stock portfolio, one that pays massive cash flow.
Today's video is a bit contrarian, and that's ok. My goal is one of early financial freedom and massive passive income. Since my goals are a bit unconventional, my personal finance strategy has been a bit unconventional too.
Learn more about dividend stock brokers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcuXZauMwZk
Learn more about individual vs. retirement accounts (for someone seeking early financial independence):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_MqPhKoH90
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

In the world of dividend growth investing, PE ratio is a very important metric. Managing a stock portfolio with over 30 positions can be complex. When deploying new capital, it's sometimes unclear which stock presents the best current value. PE ratio (price divided by earnings for the trailing 12 months) is a favorite metric for finding value in dividend stocks. With the goal of early financial freedom, I'm all about buying stocks that are "on sale" providing the best value.
Today's video, a response to a subscriber question, discusses the price earnings ratio from a variety of perspectives. In particular, I cover:
* What is a PE ratio (the price earnings ratio)?
* What is the difference between a backward-looking (trailing 12 months) PE ratio and a forward-looking PE ratio? Why do I personally prefer the trailing 12 months (backward-looking) PE?
* How do PE ratios vary by sector?
* How do PE ratios vary by market (bull market vs. bear market)?
* What are acceptable ranges of PE ratios by sector for my personal portfolio? (Where is the "buy zone" by sector?)
* Sectors covered include: utilities, consumer non-cyclical, industrials, healthcare, restaurants, financial, energy, technology, and retail.
* Learn why PE ratio does not apply to real estate investment trusts (REITs).
In my dividend growth stock portfolio, I analyze PE ratio perhaps more than any other metric. Thanks for the great question, and please keep them coming! Subscriber questions fuel the content of this channel.
Disclosure: I am long Starbucks (SBUX).
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

As a dividend investor for as long as I can remember, I am obsessed with passive income and cash flow. My goal is driving sufficient dividend income from my stock portfolio to cover all living expenses. As someone who has seen the dividend snowball take effect, I want to share three success strategies today that have personally helped me.
You will not get rich overnight with dividend investing. In fact, you will likely not see meaningful, life-changing income for ten years. It's those first ten years that can be the most difficult. These three tips today are geared towards the dividend investor in his/her first ten years. I hope you enjoy my tips about:
1) Taking baby steps
2) Leveraging the power of paper statements
3) Tracking dividends and not portfolio value
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.

You want to invest in dividend-paying stocks for cash flow and passive income. You want to build a dividend stock portfolio, one that features a growing stream of passive income over time. However, you don't know how to analyze stocks to determine if they are a good fit for your portfolio. Today's video features my personal strategy on how I analyze stocks.
While I originally wanted to film a long, multi-hour video on dividend stock analysis, I figured it would be more practical for me (and you) to film several shorter videos. Today's video is the first in this series, a long-time subscriber request!
The first step of analyzing a dividend stock is actually determining if it belongs on your watch list at all. Today's video covers the basics, my first seven filters:
1) Have I heard of the company? Do I use their goods and/or services? Do I have extensive experience with the company, and believe in their bright future?
2) What is the company's market capitalization? Does it fit into my sweet spot?
3) What is the current dividend yield? Does it match my strategy?
4) What is the dividend payout ratio? Is it sustainable?
5) What is the current price per share? Is the stock selling at a 52-week high, or is it "on sale"?
6) What is the PE ratio? Does it fall into my desired range?
7) What is the dividend history? Has the company increased dividends over time? If so, what is the annual rate of increase? Does it fall into my desired range?
I recently added to my Kimberly-Clark (KMB) position. In today's video, I go through my stock analysis filters with KMB as the example.
As a related video, here's how I personally source new stocks for my portfolio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvBgUv-TmlA
Disclosure: I am long Kimberly-Clark (KMB) stock.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

I just bought a brand new stock in my dividend portfolio. This is the first net new position I have opened in a while, and it's a household brand name. It's also a dividend stock that's "on sale" right now. With a starting dividend yield of 4.36% and a PE ratio of 14.6, I just had to initiate a position in General Mills (GIS).
The maker of Cheerios, Haagen-Dazs, and Annies, General Mills just announced a huge acquisition of pet food maker Blue Buffalo. Also, they warned that EPS growth would be short of analyst expectations in fiscal 2018. The stock has dropped in price, creating an attractive value in my opinion (for long-term dividend growth investors). Today's video is a fundamental analysis of General Mills stock, and why this dividend growth investor likes it so much!
In particular, today's video covers:
* Why I like consumer non-cyclical stocks for my dividend stock portfolio.
* Why I like stocks that make household brands. (I like to invest Peter Lynch style.)
* Why a starting yield of 4.36% is very strong in this market, for this type of company.
* My hypothesis as to why General Mills has been trending down in price, and why it's "overdone" in my humble opinion.
* My extensive fundamental analysis including metrics like: price history, revenue, profit, earnings per share (EPS), PE ratio, operating margin, dividend history, payout ratio, debt level, and more!
* At the end of the day, General Mills is facing some challenges (not too dissimilar from other consumer non-cyclical stocks. Perhaps the challenges are a bit more pronounced with GIS, on the revenue growth side and profit side. That said, as a long-term investor with decades upon decades ahead, I am willing to wait! I like a good buying opportunity, and am placing my capital behind General Mills.
More than anything, I feel strong about the starting dividend yield, and possibility for dividend growth ahead. While dividend growth may be slow (or even non-existent) in the next few years, I think it will be fabulous in the long-term. After all, General Mills has been paying a dividend for 118 years, according to their Annual Report (10-K). And, I'm willing to wait for massive growth because the starting yield is so attractive.
Want to learn more about stock market analysts and how they can create buying opportunities? Here's a fun video on the topic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81pWwzH991k
General Mills has a great PE ratio, compared to the overall stock market. Want to learn why PE ratio is so important in my dividend growth investing? Here's a video on that topic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUmgT75dBKI
One of my greatest investing mistakes has been following others. Learn about my top 5 investing mistakes in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC-pQ56FlK4
I really like General Mills and started a position. Want to see some other recent stock analysis videos, highlighting stocks I do not like so much? Here are my stock analysis videos of AT&T and also GE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYhiIqfCRsE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2qIGUoUKrI
Want to connect with me on Instagram? I’m checking all the time, so please feel free to connect: https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
Disclosure: I am long General Mills (GIS), Procter & Gamble (PG), and Kimberly-Clark (KMB). I own these three stocks in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

Want to invest in the stock market for dividends and cash flow? Learn from my personal mistakes (and triumphs too). In the world of investing, it's not only about what you do right. It's about avoiding mistakes too. Today, I'm excited to highlight five common mistakes that dividend growth investors should avoid:
(1) The Dreaded Yield Trap: A yield trap is a dividend stock with a very high, yet unsustainable, current yield. These stocks can often attract investors with the promise of a great dividend. However, they are too good to be true. It's important to avoid yield traps. And, focus on companies with sustainable, yet growing, dividends.
(2) Not Starting Now: Time is your greatest asset in the world of dividend investing. It's all about compound interest. In today's video, I tell the story of two investors. One invests $5,000 and has 30 years of investing ahead of them. One waits ten years and invests $10,000, with only 20 years of investing ahead of them. Both do really well, but guess what? They both end up in the same place. Wait 10 years, and you may have to invest twice as much! It's all about starting now.
(3) Getting Bored and Giving Up: Dividend growth investing is a super investing strategy. That said, it is not exciting like trading. Slow and steady. Building a large stream of dividend income takes years, decades even. It's easy to get bored, give up, and potentially cash out (or switch strategies). Don't do it!
(4) Not Controlling Your Budget: Dividend investing is a means to financial freedom. Meaning, passive income can cover one's living expenses, giving them complete flexibility in life. Amazing! That being said, financial freedom is quite unlikely if one's budget is out of control. If one spends 90% of their income and saves only 10%, it's going to be very difficult to one day live off dividend income. (That said 10% is certainly a great start, and a step in the right direction!) Learn why at least 30% savings is key for dividend investors.
(5) Following The Crowd: A big mistake in the world of dividends is following the crowd. Because this personal finance strategy requires persistence and dedication, one has to have conviction in their stock selections. One has to stand by their selections in good times and bad. When you follow the crowd, in my opinion, you will never have sufficient conviction in your portfolio. Choose your own stocks and stand by them!
Want to learn about even more investing mistakes (to avoid)? You may want to check out my other video about dividend investing mistakes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh37UNsS_wc
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.

I'm thrilled to cover a stock that I personally own in my dividend stock portfolio. This is a dividend growth stock at multi-year lows. An out of favor stock sporting a strong (and growing) dividend yield, all of the analysts and media seem to hate this particular company (from an investing and personal finance standpoint). I'm talking about IBM.
In today's video, learn why I personally own IBM for cash flow and dividends. Learn why I have averaged into this position, and especially like its increasing dividend. That being said, also learn why IBM is not a focus of mine in 2018, as it's not a "core holding" in my personal stock portfolio (mainly due to its heavy debt).
Today's video covers:
* Pros and cons of IBM as an investment, from a dividend investing standpoint.
* Why I like to look at stocks that are "out of favor" with analysts.
* PE ratio and why it's important to dividend investors. Learn about IBM's PE and how it's quite low compared to the overall market.
* Dividend yield and payout ratio. (Both are really great for IBM, right now, in my opinion.)
* Revenue and revenue growth trajectory (IBM might be turning the corner).
* IBM's huge amount of debt (the biggest con with this stock and why it will not be a core position of mine).
At a high level, also learn about my strategy of "painting with broad brush strokes". This strategy allows me to look 10, 20, or even 30 years out, while all of the analysts are looking at micro details from the last quarter. It's this very strategy that sets dividend investors in a league of their own, in my opinion.
Want to learn more about PE ratio? Here's a video I produced on that very topic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUmgT75dBKI
Want to learn more about my positions in Kimberly-Clark and Procter & Gamble? Check out this recent video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGRmIeiep1g
Disclosure: I am long IBM (IBM), Kimberly-Clark (KMB), and Procter & Gamble (PG). I own all three of these stocks in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

When you are building a dividend growth stock portfolio, two factors are most important: (1) Capital invested and (2) stock selection. Today's video features my personal strategy for sourcing brand new stocks for my dividend stock portfolio. When you watch my strategy on how I find stocks, please keep in mind that these sources of ideas are in descending order of priority for a reason. While all sources mentioned are great (and have been leveraged in my personal portfolio), those mentioned first are my favorites.
You will learn about the following sources of new investment ideas:
* The Peter Lynch / Warren Buffett strategy of going with household names and brands.
* Seeing the brands your kids love.
* Exploring dividend stock ideas on Yahoo! Finance.
* Leveraging newspapers and magazines for helpful investing ideas.
* Watching YouTube videos (like this one) and reading personal finance / dividend blogs.
While there are many ways to source new dividend stock ideas (stocks that generate cash flow and passive income), these are some that I have personally leveraged the most. In addition, three other key takeaways from today's video also include:
* Make all investment ideas your own. Only buy once you have personally done the research and have overwhelming conviction. Dividend investing is about the long term (10-30 years out), and you need to have conviction in your investment portfolio. Really "own" your decisions!
* Always ask yourself, each time you are considering a new position, whether it's better to simply add to an existing position (vs. buy the new one). Whether you have one stock or thirty, ask yourself that question each time you invest capital.
* Analysis is everything. Today's video only shows one how to get stocks on their watch list. Once something is on the watch list, then it's time to invest hours upon hours of due diligence. Don't confuse the idea generation side of things (today's video) with the analysis side of things (other videos).
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
PPC Ian Content is Copyright IJL Productions LLC

When you buy stock directly from a company (through a transfer agent such as Computershare), you have the opportunity to purchase stock with no fees. Especially when you are investing lower amounts (such as $25 each month) and averaging in over time, it's possible to minimize or even eliminate fees. Learn how it is possible for smaller dividend growth investors to average into dividend stock ownership with zero fees.
While it's more difficult to minimize or eliminate fees than 5 or 10 years ago, it still is possible. You just need to know the right places to look. Learn about DRIPs (Dividend Reinvestment Plans), transfer agents, averaging in, and the philosophy behind small, incremental investments in dividend-paying companies. Learn how even the smallest investors can get ahead buying stock directly.
Disclosure: I used to own Exxon Mobil (Ticker: XOM) but sold my position. I do not own Abbvie (Ticker: ABBV) but might initiative a position at some point.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.

Are you scared to start investing in 2018? Do you think the stock market will crash sometime in 2018 or soon thereafter? Are you concerned that you will lose money by investing now?
Today's video addresses these very questions through the lens of dividend growth investing. As a dividend growth investor, I'm not as concerned with stock market volatility because I invest for dividends and cash flow. (The underlying equity value and capital appreciation is not as important to me.) Today, I am excited to share a few frameworks that may help investors considering starting out in 2018.
Framework 1: It takes time to learn investing. The sooner one starts, the sooner one can learn the basics of dividend growth investing. Mistakes will often be made. It's always easier to make such mistakes sooner than later.
Framework 2: Dividend growth investing is all about time and persistence. It can take decades of averaging in to deploy enough capital to achieve financial freedom. Accumulating a snowball of dividend income takes time. When one starts sooner than later, that dividend income starts building. And, even if the market corrects, one can buy all the way down (more time to average in at lower prices)! Remember: As share prices go down, starting dividend yield goes up. As a dividend investor, I like to see share prices go down.
Framework 3: Given the late stage bull market, perhaps in addition to starting, one ought to consider an emergency fund. When I started, I went "all in" with no emergency fund. Today's market is different. Perhaps an investing plus emergency fund strategy may create peace of mind for late market stage investors. I am personally focused on building up an emergency fund in 2018.
At the end of the day, loss of capital is not as worrisome for dividend growth investors, in my opinion. The dividends are the goal, not the capital appreciation. Of course, it's never fun to "lose" capital (on paper), but the dividend strategy certainly reduces market volatility concerns in my particular situation.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

What if I were investing $10,000 dollars in the stock market? What if I were investing ten thousand dollars for the first time? Today's video is all about that hypothetical situation, from a dividend income, cash flow, and passive income perspective. Topics covered include:
(1) I would divide my $10,000 dollars into four stocks (equal amounts in each). I would choose my stocks from the four following industries: consumer non-cyclical food and beverage, consumer non-cyclical basic needs, medical and pharmaceutical, and industrials. These are the industries that will be around forever, which is essential for dividend investing and compound interest.
(2) I would leverage DRIPs for my ten thousand dollars, or dividend reinvestment plans. These plans would allow my dividends to buy fractional shares of stock (via reinvestment) for low (or even no) fees. Dividend reinvestment plans would be critical for my compound interest strategy. Eventually, I would want to live off the dividends, but in the short and medium term, I would reinvest the dividends. (Where dividend reinvestment plans did not exist, or carried higher fees, I would leverage a low cost stock broker.)
(3) I would stagger four $2,500 lump sum investments over the course of 3 or 4 months. After 3 or 4 months, my $10,000 dollars would be fully invested.
(4) While my immediate dividend income would be around $300 per year (a nice amount of dividends), I would avoid the temptation to spend that money. Rather, I would reinvest.
(5) I would build up a cash buffer (or emergency fund) so that I didn't have the temptation to tap into my stock portfolio when times got rough and I was short on cash. Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money, and the temptation will be there to cash out when money gets tight.
(6) I would periodically add money to my positions. I would add as much as possible to my stock portfolio over time, investing in those positions that had the greatest value at the time.
(7) I would buy blue chip companies with my $10,000 investment, although I would diversify market capitalizations (market caps) from $10 billion up to several hundred billion. With this size of a portfolio, I like to start diversifying by market cap.
(8) I would target companies that provide 5-7% dividend growth each year.
(9) Last, I would target starting yields in the 2-3% range.
When one invests $10,000 dollars for the first time, that is a big deal. We're talking about a lot of money here. This video highlights the main things that I would do differently with ten thousand than smaller amounts. This video builds on my other videos in the same series.
My One Thousand Dollar Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iijz-5vGSh0
My Five Thousand Dollar Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bp0TzQKRr0
Thirty years out, assuming a starting yield of 3% and a 7% rate of dividend growth over time, my initial $10,000 dollar investment would yield $2,300 a year in dividends. And, that's a conservative model since i don't look at capital appreciation nor reinvested dividends. On a conservative basis, I'm yielding a large amount that can pay some serious bills after 30 years. That's the power of starting with a larger amount of money and going the dividend growth route.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.

I own 37 dividend stocks in my stock portfolio. On any given month, I'm almost always averaging in (buying more shares). How do I know which stock(s) to buy at a given time? How do I invest my hard earned capital in dividend stocks, while looking at things both logically and emotionally? Today's video shares my very strategy.
Before even starting, it's important to recognize whether one is looking at a net new portfolio or an established one. While most of today's video covers the strategy of how I buy stocks for my established dividend portfolio, I also discuss how things would differ for a newer portfolio.
Next, I dive into my personal pillars for success.
Pillar 1: I enjoy setting strategic buy order themes each year. Each January I pick a few stocks that I'll focus on accumulating any given year. This year, it's Procter & Gamble and Kimberly Clark. My analysis is based on fundamentals. By setting the theme early in the year, I stay focused and determined.
Pillar 2: When I invest in a new position to my established stock portfolio, I go "all in". Meaning: I will start with a small lump sum investment, and then I keep averaging in until my position reaches its desired size (and, at a minimum, my "full size" for a small position). I believe in good housekeeping and dislike 1-off positions in my portfolio.
Pillar 3: I'm always looking out for great investment opportunities. Since I own 37 stocks, several of them are always on sale at any given time. While I like to first focus on pillars 1 and 2, I will buy "on sale" stocks as well, when opportunities present themselves.
Pillar 4: Certain of my stocks fall into trading ranges, more or less. I like to place a small amount of capital in them, each time they hit the bottom of the trading range.
At the end of the day, this strategic framework keeps my investing vey logical and pragmatic. It keeps me focused on doing the right things, avoiding all the noise out there. It also, however, leaves some room for emotion which I think is actually important for dividend growth investors.
As mentioned in today's video, I have quite a few related videos to share with all of you! Following is my long list of related investing videos that you may want to check out.
First, let's jump into videos that discuss hypothetical scenarios of starting all over again. Following are the ways I would start, if I were hypothetically starting over with different amounts of money!
Investing My First $1,000:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iijz-5vGSh0
Investing My First $5,000:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bp0TzQKRr0
Investing My First $10,000:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i_3KAY1ZMo
Investing My First $25,000:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGrf5He8ieU
Investing My First: $50,000:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ishEcrSTK-c
Also mentioned in today's video, here's some info on my personal stock portfolio, on my small, medium, and large/core strategy. Learn about my personal asset allocation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ybS8GQl_vA
Each year, I like to set strategic themes for my buy orders (pillar 1 of my strategy). This year, my strategic theme spans Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark. Learn all about my dividend investing strategic themes for 2018:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGRmIeiep1g
While I don't buy many net new stock positions these days, when I do I'm all in. (In the sense that I will keep buying and averaging in until the position reaches full size.) Here's a stock I just started buying, General Mills (pillar 2 of my strategy):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z12Ac83Nz0Q
While I mainly focus on pillars 1 and 2 of my buy order strategy, I just can't pass up a good opportunity. I also like to make incremental buy orders of dividend portfolio stocks that are "on sale". This year, I'm buying some Southern Corporation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW_jAVvhEqw
And, Realty Income:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-ANUrAsqMc
Last, I want to share my recent analysis of Coca-Cola. While I own this stock in my portfolio (and it's a core position), I won't be buying more this year. It's just not "on sale" right now, and it doesn't fit my strategic pillars. That said, if I were hypothetically starting all over again with a net new portfolio, perhaps things would be different:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egb3PfTOtSs
Disclosure: I am long Procter & Gamble (PG), Kimberly-Clark (KMB), General Mills (GIS), Southern Company (SO), Realty Income (O), and Coca-Cola (KO). I own these stocks in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

Let's say I was just starting out with dividend growth investing in 2018, with $50,000 of capital (hypothetically speaking). It's a unique time to start because the stock market is at all time highs. For this very reason, especially when starting out with larger capital investments (such as $50,000 or more), I would be incredibly focused on risk management and dollar cost averaging over time.
Importantly, today's video builds on others in the same series. If you have not yet seen my videos on how to invest $1,000, $5,000, $10,000, and $25,000, you may want to check those out first (links to those videos below). Since I don't want to repeat myself, as I know your time is valuable, today's video offers net new perspectives for one investing $50,000. (Of course, my video has a dividend focus, as that's my personal strategy.)
When investing $25,000 or less, I more or less would just go for it. I would want my dividend income to start building immediately. However, $50,000 is a serious amount of money. It's a high enough sum that I would introduce some serious multi-year averaging. Today's video discusses:
* The current state of the stock market. We are near all time highs. The market will correct at some point, in my opinion. As such, I would avoid a lump sum investment with this amount of money. Rather, I would average in over two or three years.
* That being said, my averaging schedule would depend on how much future capital I have to invest. If I have an incremental $1 million coming my way, for example, I would deploy my $50,000 faster. If I have $5,000/year to invest in the future, by contrast, I would average my $50,000 over a longer time period.
* Learn why dividend investing is the strategy of choice, especially in a late stage bull market. Buy low and sell high is going to be very difficult in this market. Investing for income (especially when averaging in) could work quite well.
* Learn why it's going to require rock solid discipline to start investing $50,000 in 2018. One will need to be ready for the correction, and potentially short term "loss" of capital. That said, corrections are often the best time for dividend investors to acquire positions. (I personally love corrections since starting yield goes up as share prices go down.)
* See how great companies tend to raise and grow their dividends despite overall stock market performance. As long as business fundamentals are solid, dividends can increase each year. For this reason, it's a lot of fun to buy dividend stocks during bear market sales.
If you enjoyed today's video, I have a multitude of related videos that I'm sure will add value!
Here's my video on investing one's first $1,000 in dividend paying stocks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iijz-5vGSh0
Want to learn how to invest $5,000 in the stock market? Here you go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bp0TzQKRr0
How about $10,000? This video is one of my most popular ones:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i_3KAY1ZMo
Finally, here is how I would hypothetically invest $25,000 in dividend stocks, if I were starting all over again:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGrf5He8ieU
In 2018, I'm really focused on investing in core positions that are also exhibit value. Procter & Gamble and Kimberly Clark are two of my favorites this year. Learn more in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGRmIeiep1g
With interest rates increasing, utilities are under a lot of pressure. This creates a nice buying opportunity, in my opinion. Learn more about my position in Southern Company in 2018 and beyond:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW_jAVvhEqw
I am also finding value right now in REITs, especially Realty Income. Learn more in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-ANUrAsqMc
Want to connect with me on social media? (Make sure to reach out via a public comment, so everyone can benefit from our discussion. I don't check private comments as frequently.)
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/ianlopuch
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ppcian
Disclosure: I am long Procter & Gamble (PG), Kimberly-Clark (KMB), Realty Income (O), and Southern Company (SO). I own all four of these stocks in my dividend stock portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

I love stocks that raise their dividends aggressively. Today's video covers a stock in my personal portfolio that just raised its dividend by 20%, a massive increase. And, since 2010, the dividend has been increased by 328.6% - amazing! I'm talking about Starbucks stock.
I'm not just a dividend investor, I'm a dividend growth investor - with "growth" being a very key word here. Learn why dividend growth is so incredibly powerful.
In today's video, I run three scenarios on Starbucks stock to understand where yield on cost could be ten years from now.
* Aggressive case: 12.1% yield on cost
* Moderate case: 7.9% yield on cost
* Conservative case: 5.1% yield on cost
Also, I spend time covering some fundamental analysis on Starbucks. Learn why I look at metrics such as debt, net margins, payout ratio, revenue growth, and net income growth.
At the end of the day, my portfolio contains three types of dividend stocks:
1) Large current yield, but low growth
2) Moderate current yield, moderate dividend growth
3) Low current yield, massive dividend growth (SBUX falls in to this category)
Mentioned in today's video, you may want to check out my video on income statement analysis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDxYxsvPc_s
Also mentioned in today's video, you may want to check out my recent video about Kimberly Clark and Procter & Gamble stock:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGRmIeiep1g
Last, please consider reaching out on Twitter. I'm very active these days on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/ianlopuch
Disclosure: I am long Starbucks (SBUX), Kimberly-Clark (KMB), and Procter & Gamble (PG). I own these stocks in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

I'm receiving questions about dividend stocks during the next downturn. Will dividend companies cut their dividends, directly impacting one's passive income and cash flow? Will dividend stocks hold up, or will the entire strategy unfold?
Of course, I cannot predict the future, but I can speak to my personal beliefs based on 20+ years of investing and personal finance experience. Today's video covers a lot of ground:
* It's more difficult to invest in dividend stocks (or any financial instrument) than it was in 2009-2013. Why? The stock market has rallied, and requires more caution and attention than ever before. A downturn (market correction could be coming).
* Since I buy and hold forever with the goal of living off my dividend income, the underlying stock price does not mean much to me. In fact, I prefer if stock prices go down (as long as company fundamentals are solid). Why? My dollars will go further, I will get more dividends for the same investment, and I will reach financial freedom sooner.
* I like it when stocks go "on sale". Most people, by contrast, get scared when stocks are on sale. It's important to cultivate the right personal finance mindset.
* The best companies still manage to thrive and grow their dividends, during good economic times and bad.
* GE recently cut their dividend. What does this mean? Will other dividend stocks follow suit?
* In my experience, it's all about diversification in protecting one's dividend income. I personally own 30+ stocks.
* Learn from my mistakes with BBL, and how I faced my own dividend cut. I'm not immune to mistakes.
* Dividend paying stocks tend to fare better during a market downturn and recession.
Related Video: How I'm Beating The S&P 500 Index With Dividend Stocks (and Achieving Substantial Yield On Cost)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rhvz8-0TDY
Disclosure: I used to own BBL, but do not anymore. I do not own GE.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

As a dividend growth investor, I invest for dividends and cash flow. If you've been watching my videos for a while, you know that I do not really value capital appreciation. After all, I buy stocks with the plan on never selling. I buy forever, and expect to live off the dividends (passive income) that are paid. However, I have a secret to share with all of you! (I actually do care about capital appreciation.) Learn why in today's video!
In fact, I believe it's totally possible to "not care" and "care" about capital appreciation at the same time. It's actually quite logical for this dividend investor. Let me explain...
Bucket 1: I Don't Care About Capital Appreciation
As a long-term investor, I cannot afford to care about capital appreciation. Otherwise, my ego would take a hit. It would be too difficult to get caught up in the day-to-day volatility. Rather, as soon as I buy, I'm only focused on the dividend. And, if I do look at the stock price, I get excited when it goes down (as long as fundamentals have not changed). I look at a price decline as a buying opportunity!
Bucket: I Do Care About Capital Appreciation
All of this being said, I do care about capital appreciation. Let me explain: When I am looking at a net new company, capital appreciation is a sign that the company is well-managed. Anything can happen in the short run (say a 5-year period). However, when I look at the long-term trends (10-years or more), I really like to see some capital appreciation, because that shows me that the company is well-managed. Value has been created! (I also value capital appreciation when I periodically check companies in my portfolio.)
In the world of dividend investing, it's important to be open-minded and flexible. I often dismiss the "buy low, sell high" strategy because it's not for me. That said, there is value in that strategy, even from a "forever" dividend investor standpoint. Those capital gains are one of the greatest indicators of a well-managed dividend company.
As a closing point, I believe that dividend growth investing is the best type of investing. Just one example: I get to enjoy the best of both worlds. I can "not care" about capital appreciation while also "caring" as well. However, "buy low, sell high" investors don't have this luxury. They have to care about capital gains, as that's the only path to profits (they don't have dividends). Just some fun food for thought.
Mentioned in today's video, here's a link to my GE analysis. Unfortunately, in the case of GE, the stock has gone nowhere in 20 years. This is one of the big reasons I cannot bring myself to like this stock from a dividend standpoint:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2qIGUoUKrI
Also, I invite you to connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

Dividend stocks versus growth stocks, that is the question! If you've been on my channel for a while, you know that I'm a dividend stock guy, all the way. That said, most of my dividend stocks are also growth stocks, so I guess I enjoy the best of both worlds. At the end of the day, I will live off my dividend income. Dividend stocks pay for stuff, they pay the bills. In my opinion, it's not practical to pay for one's living expenses with non-dividend growth stocks.
Stocks go up and stocks go down. Mr. Market might feel particularly happy one day, and very sad the next. When one relies on underlying equity prices to pay the bills, it's just not practical. For example: What if one's phone bill comes due, and stocks are at a low. Then, one has to sell shares at a low price just to pay the bills.
By contrast, the dividend stocks I own pay dividends in both good times and bad. More than that, they actually tend to raise dividends each year (even during a bear market). I can take my dividends and pay for things like utility bills, groceries, insurance, or even the mortgage. And, I can do this without touching the underlying capital/principal.
Today's video goes into the classical debate between income investors and growth investors. Topics covered include:
* Why dividends work for me.
* A graphical representation of how dividends flow in and pay bills, regardless of the underlying stock price.
* Why dividend-paying companies tend to be more shareholder-friendly.
* How value stocks tend to perform very well over the long-term.
* Why dividends can be more tax efficient than selling shares to pay expenses.
While I'm reinvesting all of my dividends right now, compounding my income snowball, one day I will live off my dividends. I love the fact that my portfolio provides me the flexibility to change course tomorrow, if needed. The dividends are already flowing in!
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

I'm a dividend growth investor, with over 17 years of dividend investing experience. Each and every day, my dividend income stream grows. And, one day, it will surpass my living expenses, although I have many years to go before that will happen. Today's video is all about dividend stock selection and stock allocation by yield.
It tells the story of two companies: Southern Company (SO) and Starbucks (SBUX). (Full Disclosure: I own each of these stocks.) While SO offers a high starting yield, dividend growth is lower. While SBUX offers a low starting yield, dividend growth is rapid. When approaching one's overall portfolio allocation, learn how I personally mix high entry yield and low entry yield dividend-paying stocks. Learn how mathematics and frameworks can help in making portfolio allocation decisions in the world of dividend growth investing.
Disclosure: I am long Southern Company (SO) and Starbucks (SBUX).
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.

Is Ford Motor Company (F) the best dividend value stock around? With a trailing twelve month PE Ratio of 5.97 and a dividend yield (projected) of 6.4% for 2018, it may certainly seem like a great value at current prices. With my long term horizon, however, it's just not the right dividend stock for my personal stock portfolio. In today's video, I'm excited to analyze Ford in great detail, from a dividend investor standpoint.
I start with some misconceptions I had before even completing the analysis. Based on the government bailout from the great recession, I certainly had thought that Ford performed worse than it actually did during the recession. While not great, I was somewhat pleasantly surprised by what I found. (Note to self: Always look at the facts and avoid bias that may be created via the media.)
Next, I take a look at the most important element for this cash flow investor: The dividend. While Ford pays a nice dividend right now, they paid no dividend from 2007-2011. That's really rough for anyone relying on passive income to pay bills. If I'm relying on my dividends to put food on the table, it just isn't going to work if a company suddenly stops paying the dividend for five years! This alone is a deal-breaker for me.
Next, I take a look at their share price over time. It's troublesome to me that the company has essentially gone nowhere in the last 25 years! While I don't invest for capital appreciation, I always rely on it to tell whether a company is being managed properly (and to tell whether it has the ability to grow the dividend over time).
Next, I look at international diversification. It's nice to see that more than half of Ford's units are sold internationally.
Next, it's onto the metrics. While revenue is growing nicely, I'm unpleasantly surprised by the volatility of net income and EPS in a really good economy. It certainly shows how the company's earnings (even during good times) can be cyclical. It gives me concern over what can happen in rough times. During this analysis, I also uncover a very low operating margin of 5% (just not high enough for me).
Last, I discuss a few closing factors:
* Ford's lending operation. While it seems to be managed a lot better than GE's, I just don't like that kind of exposure, especially with 8.7 leverage.
* Assets and liabilities. Assets and liabilities are both skewed by Ford's lending operation. Assets are certainly not as good as they look, in my opinion.
Overall, I think there are both pros and cons with this company. I certainly have more respect for it than I did before the analysis. That said, it just doesn't meet the mark for my dividend stock portfolio.
What do you think about Ford? I would love to hear everyone's opinions!
Mentioned in today's video, here's my dividend stock analysis of GE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2qIGUoUKrI
Also mentioned in today's video, here's my Instagram:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2qIGUoUKrI
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

I have six years of peer to peer lending and investing experience, on the LendingClub platform. I have invested in over 1,000 loans, in $25 increments. As a dividend growth investor and proponent of income investments (I optimize for passive income and yield), this video compares LendingClub (and peer to peer lending overall) to dividend stocks. In particular, I discuss the pros, cons, and returns that are possible with P2P lending.
Highlights include:
* I go into depth on my personal results with peer to peer lending and LendingClub. Learn about my personal net annual return (after defaults) since I started back in 2011.
* Learn about the tax implications of peer to peer lending (taxed as ordinary income) versus qualified dividends (taxed as long term capital gains).
* See how I leverage my peer to peer loan portfolio as a makeshift emergency fund.
* Learn why I am personally at a crossroads, and am considering taking all money out of peer to peer lending and into dividend stocks. I'm at a point where it probably makes sense to just focus on one strategy, especially with my unexciting results from P2P lending.
* Learn how I used to work for the CEO of LendingClub, in a prior job, and why I think the company and platform is great.
* One cannot necessarily compare dividend growth investing to peer to peer lending, as they are different asset classes. That said, the comparison is important to my portfolio.
* Learn how investing in peer to peer loans helps people out (those borrowing money).
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

As a dividend stock investor who wants early retirement (also known as financial freedom), I highly favor individual (taxable) accounts for my stock portfolio. By contrast, retirement accounts (such as the Roth IRA and 401k) do not allow withdrawals before 65 years of age (unless one wants to pay a penalty). Since I plan to tap into my dividend income well before I'm 65 years old, I do not like retirement accounts for my personal situation.
Today's video compares and contrasts taxable individual accounts vs. retirement accounts, from a dividend growth investing perspective.
Topics covered include:
* Types of stock brokerage accounts. Individual (also known as taxable), Roth IRA, and 401k.
* Pros and cons of individual accounts vs. retirement accounts.
* Why I love individual accounts for my dividend stock portfolio.
* Why I love the concept of an early retirement (or financial freedom). Even if I don't retire early, I will surely tap into my massive cash flow.
* Why Roth style accounts are the best from a tax standpoint (if one does not plan to utilize funds until a traditional post-65 retirement).
* Why employer match (often in 401k accounts) is pure gold.
* Why 401k accounts could be risky since future taxes (at time of withdrawal) are unknown.
* Why mutual funds are a deal-breaker for me, except in the case of 401k employer match.
* How account optimization is a balancing act.
I hope you enjoy today's video and please subscribe for more videos about dividend growth investing. Today's video is a special one, set on the beautiful Ka'anapali Beach in Maui, Hawaii.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.

When one starts investing in dividend stocks for passive income (literally dividend checks that can be used to pay the bills), it's easy to "over invest". From personal experience, there are times where I really stretched myself via my "all in" investing strategy. (In fact, this has been my investing strategy for the greater part of my investing journey to-date.) The positive feedback loop with dividend investing is almost instantaneous. One invests money, and the dividend checks start coming right away!
These days, since we're in a late stage bull market and because my financial needs have changed (I have a family and want to be a little more conservative), I'm transitioning towards less of an "all in" strategy. Of course, I'm not selling any of my stocks. I never want to sell, as I invest for dividend checks and cash flow. I'm just trying to save up an emergency fund, a cash buffer, in addition to my monthly stock investments. It's all about creating that peace of mind as we reach late bull market territory. Today's video tackles this very challenge. How can someone who "can't stop buying dividend stocks" transition to a more balanced situation?
In particular, I show two types of investors. Investor 1 goes all in. Investor 1 may even spend money above and beyond their paycheck (money they don't have) to buy extra shares of dividend paying stocks. Investor 2, by contrast, stays within their means. Investor 2 invests in the stock market each month but also saves cash. Investor 2 never goes above and beyond their paycheck with their investments.
Personally, I think one can be both Investor 1 and Investor 2, it just goes in stages. Previously, I was Investor 1 all the way. Now, I'm transitioning to Investor 2. That said, I may become Investor 1 again if a bear market strikes (and stocks are on sale).
Tips covered in todays video include:
* The art of paying oneself first, building up that cash buffer in a separate bank account.
* The beauty of making dividend growth investing a family priority and goal.
* The value of keeping great records, keeping an investing journal, and giving each stock purchase the respect that it deserves.
* How living a frugal lifestyle and finding ways to save money both complements dividend investing while also slowing things down a bit.
At the end of the day, investing is fluid and each investor will experience various stages in their own journey. Today's video is an overview of my current stage. And, I believe it will be helpful for others too as I frequently get the question from those who believe they are over-investing and moving too quickly.
Want to learn more about my "all in" strategy and how I took on conscious risk for the majority of my investing career, supercharging my stock portfolio? Here's how I have historically approached things:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHAlpQCWAhw
Want to learn more about my 2018 financial goals and how things are starting to change for this investor? Here you go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAz0Ky7Fm84
Want to connect on Instagram? I'm checking it all the time, so please feel free to reach out:
https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

Is possible to receive massive stock market profits with dividend and value stocks? Or, does that only happen with high growth tech stocks (FANG stocks). I personally invest for dividends and cash flow, and want to share today how I have experienced massive capital appreciation (and yield on cost) in my personal stock portfolio. I will share three holdings from my personal portfolio, one that I've never shared here before. While these stocks don't get as much coverage as tech stocks, they certainly perform very well (with a lot less risk, in my humble opinion).
First, I share Caterpillar (CAT). I purchased this tock in 2016 for $65 per share. It's already at $139, an increase of 114%. And, my yield on cost is 5.2%. Here's a classical dividend stock (not a high tech stock) that has proven one can make massive profits in the stock market (both capital appreciation and dividends) without risking it all on tech.
Next, I share a holding I've never discussed before on my channel, Home Depot (HD). I purchased this stock for $75 per share in 2014. Now, it's at $200 in 2018, an increase of 168%. And, I'm yielding 5.5% on cost in terms of dividend cash flow. I would say these types of gains give high flying tech stocks a run for their money. And, I'm doing it with less risk and a cash flow component! I invest for passive income, and love companies like Home Depot that truly reward their shareholders.
Last, I discuss Altria. Purchased for $16 per share in 2009, it's now trading at $58.52 in 2018, an increase of 266%. And, my yield on cost is 20%. That's right, I'm now receiving cash flow on my original investment on an annual basis that is nearly double the return of the S&P 500 (and growing). This is my first dividend growth stock yielding 20% on cost.
I discuss lessons I have learned over the years as an investor:
* I don’t get discouraged if I "lose" money in the short run. I will take this opportunity to average down (I did this with CAT).
* I understand that the gains will come sooner or later, it just takes time.
* I remind myself that value investing is difficult, and patience makes great investors.
Am I buying CAT, HD, and MO in 2018? Other than reinvesting dividends, no. I'm focused on value right now that I'm finding with Cedar Fair (FUN) and IBM (IBM). Each year, the stocks that are on sale tend to differ.
Want to learn how value stocks have outperformed growth, over the long term? This Bank of America / Merrill study is quite interesting:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/baml-90-year-review-value-growth-stock-market-investing-strategies-140602834.html
Want to support my channel? Please don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe. We have a thriving investing community here. And, please don't forget to reach out on Instagram too:
https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
Want to learn more about my experience investing in Caterpillar (CAT), a cyclical company? Here's a fun video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_lesdIq9Xo
Want to learn more about my position in Cedar Fair (FUN)? Check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhujBcrq8Xg
I believe IBM is a great value stock in 2018. Learn more here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTs-Ql4P_Y8
Disclosure: I am long Caterpillar (CAT), Home Depot (HD), Altria (MO), Cedar Fair (FUN), and IBM (IBM). I own all of these stocks in my stock portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and content are just for entertainment and fun. PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and content are NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and content are NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions. Please talk to your licensed tax advisor before making any tax decisions.
All PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and other content are (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

What happens if the Fed Funds Rate increases? With rising interest rates, will the stock market correct? Will dividend-paying stocks drop in value? Today's video answers this very question from a passive income and dividend investing standpoint.
In response to a recent subscriber question, today's video covers:
* What is the Fed Funds Rate? What is the Federal Reserve?
* Right now, interest rates are at historical lows.
* Low interest rates make dividend stocks very attractive because few alternatives exist for income investors. (Meaning: The prices of dividend stocks are on the higher side right now.)
* In my humble opinion, interest rates will continue to stay low for a while. As they increase, I expect the Fed to take baby steps.
* As interest rates increase, due to the trickle down effect, investment opportunities outside dividend stocks will exist for income-minded investors. This could cause dividend stocks to stay flat, if not correct.
* There are two sub-sets of dividend stocks. (1) Those that are very tied to interest rates (REITs and utilities come to mind), and (2) those that are dividend growth stocks (consumer non-cyclicals come to mind). With rising interest rates on the horizon, it may make sense to think through purchases of these two baskets of stocks differently.
* Dollar cost averaging is always a favorite strategy of mine, as I have been building my dividend growth portfolio through many economic cycles (and will continue to do so through many more).
* I model at 7% right now because our market is in late stages. A correction could be coming at some point in the not so distant future.
* If investors leave dividend stocks (due to higher interest rates), I view that is a good thing. While my ego may take a small hit (portfolio value down), I will happily accumulate world-class stocks at higher starting dividend yields.
Today's question came from my Facebook Fan Page. Want to follow me on social media outside YouTube? You can find me here:
Blog: http://www.ppcian.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ppcian
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ianlopuch
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
Want to learn more about REITs (or real estate investment trusts)? Check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4igBCbEAGo
Disclosure: I am long Kimberly-Clark (KMB). I own this stock in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

Today, I want to discuss a dividend stock that I personally own, a utility that is on sale. After several analyst downgrades, this stock has fallen by 15% in just a few months. And, its starting dividend yield is 5.27% (an incredible dividend yield in today's stock market). I'm talking about Southern Company (ticker SO).
Today's video covers Southern Company and the utility sector in general from a variety of angles, all through the lens of a dividend investor.
* Learn about SO's dividend growth history. I'm really loving the dividend increases (much higher than I would have expected for a utility).
* Learn about Southern Company's attractive PE ratio. While it's not a deep discount, the current PE ratio is reasonable for this market. And, learn why online data sources seem to have SO's PE all wrong.
* See my modeling and why I think that SO's yield on cost could be 7% ten years from now.
* See my discussion of Southern Company's rapid revenue growth, due to acquisitions.
* Some think that they have to invest in growth stocks to beat the S&P 500. Learn how SO has doubled the performance of the S&P 500 since 1996.
* Understand how SO fits into my personal dividend stock portfolio. While I see SO as a value, it's not a core position. Rather, it's a medium position. I will be averaging in and building my position here. That said, it will not be my core focus this year.
* Learn about regulated utilities and how regulation creates a monopoly of sorts. For this reason, I really like the utility sector.
* See why there may be continued opportunity to average down as interest rates increase. Utilities carry interest rate sensitivity.
Also mentioned in today's video, I'm buying Kimberly Clark (KMB) and Procter & Gamble (PG) in my dividend stock portfolio in 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGRmIeiep1g
Also mentioned in today's video, I am a big fan of PE ratio. Learn why PE ratio is critical to my dividend investing strategy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUmgT75dBKI
Last, I am sharing some really great knowledge on social media. Find my on Instagram here:
https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
Disclosure: I am long Southern Company (SO), Kimberly-Clark (KMB), and Procter & Gamble (PG). I own all three of these stocks in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

To hold a stock or to sell a stock, that is the question! I recently received a question from a subscriber. The question went like this: "Ian, I have a stock that I bought for dividends and it's up 10% in a short amount of time. Should I hold and risk losing my gains, or sell and redeploy the profits in another stock?" While I do not offer investment advice, today's video covers this very question in a hypothetical way, as if I were faced with the same situation.
In particular, I cover:
* My strategy around not penalizing winners. In fact, when stocks are up in my dividend portfolio, I will often add more money to those stocks. I have stocks in my portfolio that are up several hundred percent. If I sold after 10% gains, I would have foregone so much.
* It's typically a good thing when a stock has increased in price. Often, it means that the fundamentals are good. Revenue is up. Earnings are up. News is good. It confirms that one made a great selection. Rather than penalizing a winner, I like to double down on winners.
* An increased stock price (due to strong fundamentals) is often a leading indicator of a forthcoming dividend increase. If a company has a history of increasing dividends, it surely is a good sign to see revenue, earnings, and stock price increasing.
* I invest for dividends and cash flow so I almost never sell. In fact, I try not to look at day-to-day stock price fluctuations. Rather, I stay laser focused on my stream of dividend income.
* With an increased stock price, current yield goes down. This makes it less fun to buy more shares. That said, current yield does not really matter. It's all about yield on cost, as covered in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zdEaSrWmNQ
* However, please keep in mind that I like to look at depressed stocks, those driven to low prices irrationally. (These are sometimes referred to as the "Dogs of the Dow".) When opening net new positions or selectively reinvesting dividends, I will often focus on those undervalued shares. That said, I don't sell winners to fund such undervalued opportunities, since it's just not consistent with my strategy (and not tax/record keeping efficient either).
* Dividend growth investing is all about passive income and cash flow. Holding forever and not selling has so many advantages in my personal stock portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions. Today's video does not offer tax advice either.

Today, I will compare and contrast dividend stocks versus growth stocks. You often hear about two types of investors: Those that invest for dividends (typically falling into the value investing category) vs. those that invest for capital appreciation (typically called growth investors). Learn why I have concluded that dividend investing is right for me, and how I plan to pay for all of my living expenses via dividends one day. Learn about the following personal finance topics:
* Dividends and capital appreciation
* Volatility
* Established businesses vs. less established businesses
* Bull markets vs. bear markets
* Principal
* Capital allocation
While dividend stocks and growth stocks each have their pros and cons, I buy very few growth stocks since my strategy is so tied to passive income and cash flow. In fact, I don't really track share prices nor portfolio value as closely as I track my stream of passive dividend income.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.

Which is better: Growth investing or dividend investing (value investing)? In my personal situation, there is no comparison. Dividend growth investing always comes out ahead. That said, I get so many questions here about growth investing. Today, I want to share a case, a specific investor persona, where growth investing may be better than dividend investing. Put another way: If I could not invest in dividend stocks anymore (someone told me I just couldn't do it), this is the only way I could see myself being a growth investor.
Today's video starts with an assumption. The assumption is that for anyone to be a grow investor, they must believe that growth stocks will outperform dividend stocks (value stocks) over the long term. Personally, I don't believe that because of the Bank of America / Merrill Lynch study that shows for the 90 years starting 1926 that value stocks have returned 17% per year while growth stocks have returned 12.6%. It's difficult for me to get past this study (link below). However, the modern growth investor must believe that past data is not an indication of the future, and everything is different now in 2018.
Next, the video starts with some goals. I invest for financial freedom and cash flow. Literally, cash that can be used to cover my bills. The growth investing strategy that I'm talking about involves buy and hold for very long periods of time with zero cash flow. As such, this investor must be:
* Comfortable working a job (or running their own business) - they will not be able to rely on stocks for income.
* Able to buy and hold for very long periods of time such as 20-30 years with no cash flow.
* Is comfortable selling equity in retirement to pay for stuff (since, in general, these growth stocks are not anticipated to pay significant dividends).
Given this assumption and these goals, I now dive into some pros and cons of growth investing. And, I show how for this specific investor, growth investing may be better. Why could it be better?
* The opportunity for higher returns (that's the assumption, after all).
* The opportunity for a more tax advantageous strategy (all money compounds as no dividends are paid out). (That said, it's important to really trust these growth companies not to squander the money that is sitting around.)
* The ability to invest in those companies that are disrupting everything. (That said, I do believe that tried-and-true blue chips are underrated on this front. One of my holdings, Pfizer (PFE), just invested $600 million in Pfizer Ventures for the purpose of innovation and disruption.)
* The ability to be a risk taker. If you are a risk taker, by nature, growth investing may be more exciting and a better fit that dividend investing (which tends to be a lower risk strategy).
* The ability to take on some risk (for higher potential return) during one's younger years. (That said, many young people, like myself, prefer dividends. It all comes down to one's personal situation. And, higher risk does not always mean higher return!)
At the end of the day, there are many strategies out there. And, I've tried a lot of them. Dividend investing is my favorite, by far. That said, I know many subscribers are trying to figure out what's right for them. I hope today's video provides another perspective that may be helpful in your investing journey.
Here's why growth investors are completely wrong about dividend investors:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El7XyomoAEI
Here's how taxes work for dividend and growth investors:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y0CgkzgV6I
Want to learn more about deep value? Here's what deep value investing is all about:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugU0a3IKul4h
Here's my recent experience with Bitcoin, a growth investment that I profited from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAQHg6ag7jU
Here's why I love PE Ratio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUmgT75dBKI
Here's the Bank of America / Merrill Lynch Study referenced in today’s video:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/baml-90-year-review-value-growth-stock-market-investing-strategies-140602834.html
Disclosure: I am long Pfizer (ticker PFE). I own this stock in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions. Please talk to your licensed tax advisor before making any tax decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

Today, I want to share my thoughts about money. I want to discuss my relationship with money and how I think about investing in the stock market (dividend paying stocks) versus saving money in the bank versus spending money. Ultimately, I have concluded that investing in dividend stocks is the best possible use of my money, as saving and spending are both losing strategies (for me).
This video starts with some practical examples about spending money. I share the example of a pair of shoes that just "broke". I spent money and I realized a 100% loss. I also share some examples of things breaking that are fixable (my fireplace and refrigerator, which are both now fixed). When one buys stuff, the items are typically either a loss (like the shoes), or they will break and need to be fixed (like the fireplace and refrigerator). Spending certainly is not a solid investment strategy.
Next, I discuss saving money in the bank. In my opinion, money in the bank is also a losing strategy. With low interest rates, the value of savings erodes over time (it does not keep up with inflation). Moreover, money sitting around requires huge self-control. It's so tempting to spend! I have personally faced challenges letting it be (vs. being tempted to spend such money). It's easy for money to move from the savings bucket to the spending bucket.
The last bucket, my favorite, is dividend stocks. Dividend stocks grow in value over time. They offer a stream of dividends and also capital appreciation. The stream of dividends is quite rewarding and motivating, so one is enticed to hold for the long term. In fact, buying more dividend stocks has positive reinforcement built in! For me, I have concluded that spending and saving don't make much sense for me (when I can avoid it). Rather, I like to go all in with dividend stocks. (Of course, I do enjoy buying the necessities, splurging once in a while, and saving a small but growing emergency fund.)
Given this holistic picture on money, I am so confused as to why investors (both new and seasoned) get scared about "losing money" in the stock market. I guess I get it for "buy low, sell high" investors. (That is a strategy that just does not make sense for me as I'm buying to hold forever, to enjoy the dividends.) When one invests for dividends (as long as the fundamentals are strong), it's my belief that one cannot really lose in the long run. Taking a step back and looking at the alternatives (spending money or saving money), the concern over losing money in the market drops even more!
If you enjoyed the video today, I please invite you to like, subscribe, and/or comment. Your support means the world to me!
Also, I invite you to connect with me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
Last, I want to share the other PPC Ian videos mentioned in today's video.
Are you scared to start investing in 2018? This video may be for you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwus0r322ak
Want to learn more about my recent budgeting challenge with my fireplace? This video shares how I approached the situation (with a frugal mindset):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrizl8TxJhg
Want to learn how I have historically been "all in" when it comes to dividend stocks? Here's a fun video on this very topic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHAlpQCWAhw
Want to learn more about my big budgeting mistake of buying a M3 Convertible? Want to learn from my top 5 money and personal finance challenges? This video is a really fun one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC-pQ56FlK4
Disclosure: I am long Clorox (CLX). I own this stock in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

There's a huge mistake that dividend investors are making. This is one that is really easy to fall for. I'm talking about buying perceived value over quality. In the world of dividend growth investing, one is marrying their stock picks forever (at least that's what I'm doing). Given that background, I always choose quality over value, although it is nice when the two align.
Today's video is a response to a recent subscriber comment on my video about my #5 favorite stock pick of all time, Clorox (CLX). The subscriber mentioned that he wished my #5 favorite dividend stock of all time was a different one, since Clorox is too expensive. My take: One's top 5 stock picks should have nothing to do with valuation.
It's all about identifying one's favorite stocks and then waiting for the right opportunity to buy (or average in). I share in today's investing video a variety of insights, including the following:
1. Why it's important to stay focused as a dividend investor, consciously choosing one's favorite holdings. While I own 38 stocks, this exercise of choosing my top 5 (and eventually top 10) is so important. Those are the stocks I really want to focus on.
2. Why one's top 5 stock picks should have nothing to do with valuation, and everything to do with quality and fundamentals. Once the stocks are selected, it's ok to wait for the right time to buy.
3. Patience is everything. While none of my top 5 are really "on sale" right now, I'm patiently waiting for a great buying opportunity. (I actually had one such opportunity in my #2 stock, PepsiCo (PEP), earlier this year.)
4. Deep value investing is very different. Deep value investing is about finding undervalued assets, buying, and then eventually selling when they reach full value. I like deep value investing and hold a few such positions. That said, I really only approach deep value investing when deep value overlaps with a company I want to buy and hold forever for cash flow. (Why? I never intend to sell.)
5. Quality always trumps value, in my opinion, but both are really nice.
6. My timeframe is 50, 100, or even 200 years. While I want to live off of cash flow and experience and early retirement, I'm also looking at future generations too. Given my long-term investing timeframe, current pricing is not as important if I'm off by 10 or 15%. That said, I always try to buy smart and, when all else fails, practice good dollar cost averaging.
Let's connect on Instagram (I'm @ianlopuch). You can find me here:
https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
I'm organizing the first ever PPC Ian community meet-up. Learn more here:
http://www.ppcian.com/join-our-local-bay-area-ppc-ian-dividend-investing-crew/
Want to learn more about my #1 favorite dividend stock of all time, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)? Check out my video stock analysis here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkgzdwAqPho
Want to learn more about my #2 stock PepsiCo (PEP)? Here you go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFjUoFWEC44
I'm lovin' McDonalds (MCD) as a dividend grow stock. Learn more in this video stock analysis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA1baKYgV_0
Have you been in an Otis Elevator before? Then, you have experience a United Technology (UTX) product. Learn about my #4 favorite stock pick here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV8Txpw-qHA
Last, here's my new video on my #5, Clorox (CLX):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj2n-Mndib0
Want to see some stocks I'm buying in 2018? Here's a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1d5xUM8dnY
Want to learn about a deep value I'm buying in 2018? It's a smaller position, but a fun one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugU0a3IKul4
Disclosure: I am long Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), PepsiCo (PEP), McDonald's (MCD), United Technologies (UTX), Clorox (CLX), and Starbucks (SBUX). I own these stocks in my stock portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and content are just for entertainment and fun. PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and content are NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and content are NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions. Please talk to your licensed tax advisor before making any tax decisions.
All PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and other content are (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

We are now 8,000 dividend investors strong! To commemorate this milestone, today's video highlights my top 8 dividend investing tips for 2018 and beyond. A reflection of my 20+ years investing experience (and this amazing PPC Ian community here on YouTube), this video surfaces those tips that have served me quite well in my personal investing journey.
Tip 1: Don't Listen to the Noise
Learn why it may be advantageous to keep your strategy to yourself, especially in your early dividend growth investing years. Make sure to tune out (or better yet) appreciate and celebrate the naysayers.
Tip 2: Don't Get Distracted
Just as I like a really clean house, I also like a clean financial life. I have learned to appreciate financial minimalism over the years. Learn about why I'm closing out my peer to peer lending, as a great example.
Tip 3: Don't Be Scared of Lower Yield Dividend Growth Stocks
Sometimes, it's really tempting to buy current yield. That said, one can often achieve a superior yield on cost (in the long term) by going with the lower current yield, higher growth stocks. Learn about one of my big mistakes of the past. And, one of my big successes with McDonald's (MCD).
Tip 4: Don't Be Afraid of High Current Yield Stocks
Life is unexpected. It's always nice to have the comfort of some current yield, should one ever have to tap into it. Learn about my thoughts and perspectives on Southern Company (SO).
Tip 5: Know Your Goals
My personal goal is one of financial freedom (cash flow covering all bills). My timeframe for this goal is as soon as possible. Working back from that goal, dividend investing became my favored strategy. Knowing goals helps inform the right strategy.
Tip 6: Embrace Automation
Learn all about automation, and how it can greatly help one save more money for dividend investing. Moreover, learn how dollar cost averaging can help reduce risk when investing. Automation has been a cornerstone of my dividend strategy since the beginning.
Tip 7: Stay Humble
It's what this channel is all about. Let's keep learning as dividend investors.
Tip 8: Live The Paradox
It's ok to have some contradictions in one's portfolio. In fact, I love a good paradox, as they reduce risk. Learn about some of the paradoxes in my personal stock portfolio and how they serve me well.
Want to learn more about my experience with peer to peer lending? While an exciting platform, I'm transitioning away since I can receive superior returns with my tried and true dividend strategy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIReR0z8fys
Want to learn from my mistakes? Here's a video highlighting my top 5 investing mistakes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC-pQ56FlK4
Want to learn how I had to get over my pride, stay humble, and finally buy 3M (MMM), a company I had been watching for many years? That's what this investing video is all about:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHRm9kdbXJo
Want to learn about my #3 favorite dividend stock of all time? I'm talking about McDonald's (MCD):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA1baKYgV_0
Want to learn about a utility that pays a hefty 5%+ starting dividend yield? I'm a fan of Southern Company for my personal stock portfolio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW_jAVvhEqw
Want to learn about my thoughts on dividend investing versus growth investing? Here's a recent video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El7XyomoAEI
Oh my goodness, I actually sold a stock. Learn about this recent situation where I actually sold:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8npn2NqbzA
Want to learn about my #2 favorite dividend growth stock of all time, PepsiCo (PEP)? Check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFjUoFWEC44
Did you know? I made some money as a growth investor in 2017 (and early 2018)? Here's my Bitcoin story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAQHg6ag7jU
Did you know? I'm a dividend investor, but also dabble in high risk angel investing? Learn more here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih2F_EUomqA
Most of the time, I invest in high quality dividend growth stocks. Sometimes, however, I take on risk and go after deep value. Here's a recent example with Campbell's Soup (CPB):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugU0a3IKul4
Disclosure: I am long 3M (MMM), McDonald's (MCD), Southern Company (SO), PepsiCo (PEP), and Campbell's Soup (CPB). I own these stocks in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

I invest in dividend stocks for passive income and cash flow. Learn the top five reasons today why I believe dividend growth investing is an exceptional strategy, especially as compared to trading for capital appreciation. While I believe in a diversified approach and leveraging multiple strategies in my financial portfolio, dividend growth investing is my core, favorite strategy. Learn how I plan to fund my dreams and pay living expenses via passive income from dividend checks.
http://www.ppcian.com
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.

Does 2018 mark the end of consumer staple stocks as we know it? Are blue chip household brand stocks, those that pay big dividends, doomed? It certainly feels that way when tuning into the investing and personal finance media. Rather than relying on emotion or conjecture, I choose to look at the raw facts in today's video. I analyze two companies in particular, Clorox and Procter & Gamble. Both have been facing recent issues in the media, although I interpret the fundamentals quite differently.
Today's video starts with one of my favorite dividend stocks of all time, Clorox (CLX). Clorox just got downgraded by an analyst at Morgan Stanley. On the news, the stock fell 5.97% in a single day. However, when I look at the real facts, the fundamentals, I see a completely different story.
* The dividend was just increased by 14%!
* Sales are up 4% year over year.
* Diluted EPS is up 9% year over year.
Next, I discuss another favorite dividend paying stock: Procter & Gamble (PG). I'm personally averaging into PG during 2018. With their recent earnings report, it seems like the media thinks the end is near for PG, and that profits are stalling. However, I only see good news:
* Procter & Gamble is acquiring Merck's consumer health business.
* Revenue is up 4% year over year (1% organic growth).
* EPS is up 5% year over year.
Last, I close with ten lessons and takeaways for dividend investors, especially applicable to this wacky market:
1. This drop in consumer stocks is overdone.
2. I love a good buying opportunity like this! While it can be a bit scary, these types of markets tend to be the best markets for dividend growth investors (in my opinion).
3. I think there is more to come. There will be further dividend stock buying opportunities.
4. We could enter a major correction in the coming few years.
5. Could be a period of slower dividend growth. There is some truth to what the analysts are saying.
6. The sky is not falling.
7. It's a good time to remember diversification.
8. It's a good time to think about disruption, and to craft a disruption-proof portfolio.
9. Financial freedom is not without risk, although I personally embrace the risk.
10. Look at numbers oneself (don't just follow the analysts).
In the world of investing and personal finance, I personally do not see a better alternative to dividend stocks. I especially enjoy dividend growth investing during times like these, when a correction is underway.
Want to learn more about Clorox's recent 14% dividend increase? You may enjoy this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BYG9A9UEpc
Want to learn more about Procter & Gamble, a stock I'm buying in 2018? Here's a video about my strategic themes in 2018:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGRmIeiep1g
Want to learn more about stock market analysts, and how they can create buying opportunities for long-term investors?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81pWwzH991k
Want to learn why I'm buying General Mills, another value-oriented consumer stock?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z12Ac83Nz0Q
Disclosure: I am long Clorox (CLX), Procter & Gamble (PG), and General Mills (GIS). I own these three stocks in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

What are my top, favorite stocks for 2018, from a dividend investing perspective? Which stocks am I personally buying in 2018? Today's video covers the two stocks that I'm averaging into throughout 2018, Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and Procter & Gamble (PG).
This year is all about doubling down on my core positions (anchor positions), while investing in value. When I analyze my core positions, KMB and PG are the two that are trading at a reasonable value right now, in my opinion. Learn why I love these stocks for long-term dividend growth investing:
* Core positions
* Minimal industry disruption possible
* Reasonable values in today's stock market (late stage bull market)
* Benefit from long-term global population growth
* Help de-risk my portfolio
* Perfect for my particular portfolio, at this time
Today's video goes into some specific metrics as well and how to analyze dividend growth stocks. I enjoy discussing:
* PE Ratio
* Current Yield
* Yield On Cost
* Market Capitalization
* Debt
* Payout Ratio
At the end of the day, 2018 is a year of realistic expectations for this investor. We are at the end of a late stage bull market. I do not expect huge gains, but that being said I am always averaging in and I am ready to buy increasing values during the next market correction.
Also, my two selections are not only a reflection of value, but also my specific situation as well. Learn why, at this stage of my own portfolio, I feel compelled to add a higher allocation of my stock portfolio towards KMB and PG.
Mentioned in today's video, PE Ratio is a very important metric in my dividend stock analysis. Here's a video I filmed about PE Ratio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUmgT75dBKI
Also mentioned in today's video, I have an ongoing series where I'm analyzing KMB in great depth. Here's the first video in my dividend stock analysis series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP6_mtdDYBI
Disclosure: I am long Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and Procter & Gamble (PG). I own both of these stocks in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

Today, I'm sharing a really embarrassing life challenge that I faced a number of years ago. Until today, I have only shared this experience with my wife! The time has come to share my hard times and challenge with the dividend investing community. I'm talking about that time I got laid off from my job!
At the time, getting laid off was one of the single worst experiences of my entire life. It was stressful, from a financial and also ego perspective. In retrospect, my layoff experience greatly informed my personal finance and stock market strategy. I'm a better dividend investor for it, and I'm thrilled to share my top lessons learned with everyone today.
In particular, I cover the following key takeaways from my layoff experience, from a dividend growth investing perspective:
1) It's so critical to have multiple streams of income. It's precisely because layoffs occur, that I love investing for dividends and passive income. It's my buffer! Dividends help me always sleep well at night.
2) While working hard is important, it does not always equal job security. For that reason, it's again so important to have multiple streams of income (both active and passive).
3) It's all about having the faith! While painful, my experience getting laid off happened for a reason. And, that's precisely why I'm sharing it with everyone today.
4) When times are good, don't overspend. It's critical to save and create passive income streams since life has its ups and downs.
5) Always have a "Plan B". Out of my planning (and also luck), I was able to secure a new job immediately. I actually had zero downtime. In the stock market and in one's career, it's important to always have a "Plan B".
6) Don't burn bridges. Investing and one's career are intertwined. One will not have money to invest without actively earning money. For that reason, it's critical to look after one's network. You never know when your next job may come from someone in your professional network.
7) Find your greater purpose. One's job absolutely cannot be their greater purpose. I would argue that this is the case even if one founds their own company. By contrast, investing, faith, family, giving back, and passions can all help define one's values and greater purpose.
8) It can happen to anyone! If you got laid off (or are going through one right now), don't feel bad. You are in great company.
At the end of the day, dividend growth investing is incredibly intertwined with one's career. The more successful one's career, the quicker one can build their passive income stock portfolio. It's always a good idea to look after one's career. That said, things happen! A layoff is not the end of the world. With my tips and personal experience, I hope to help others who may experience this unfortunate (and often painful) obstacle.
Want to connect on Instagram? You can find me here:
https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
Want to learn from my greatest mistakes? Here's a fun video that highlights my greatest financial mistakes, including buying a BMW M3 Convertible when I didn't have the money (going against lesson #4 above):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC-pQ56FlK4
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

Growth investors often misunderstand dividend investing. In fact, I regularly receive comments and questions here about the purpose of dividends. Many growth investors see little to no point of dividend checks, and they'd rather just sell shares of stock when they need cash for bills. In fact, many argue that a dividend is the exact same thing as selling shares (it's forced selling). Today's video shares why this theory is wrong, in my opinion.
First, I start out with some important concepts: ex-dividend date, record date, an payment date. Using Southern Company (SO) as an example, I show how the closing price per share on the day before the ex-dividend date drops by the dividend amount (as compared to the opening price the next day, the ex-dividend date). The reason: The market makers lower the price per share to reflect the dividend payout.
This back ground is important because it is true and is often cited by growth stock investors as to why dividends add no value. However, I next dive into the composition of a company to dispel this myth.
Each share of stock represents ownership in a company. When one owns a company, it's not just about the cash. It's about the future stream of revenue/income, brand, intellectual property, buildings, assets, people, technology, cash, and more. When one sells stock to pay bills (the growth investor), they are selling it all. By contrast, when one receives a dividend, one is exclusively pulling from the cash bucket. One's shares lose a little bit of cash (that is paid out as a dividend) but the same shares retain everything else.
It's like the goose that laid the golden egg. The dividend investor is enjoying the golden egg, and taking great care of the goose. The growth investor is literally selling the entire goose!
I close out with an illustration of how a stock can trend up and down over time. If one is to live off their investments, dividend stocks are so much more practical! One can enjoy a growing stream of dividends regardless of the overall stock market trajectory. Growth investors, however, may be forced to sell shares in a down market.
If one wants to live off passive income, growth stocks just are not going to cut it, in my humble opinion. That said, there are other scenarios where growth stocks may make a ton of sense!
As mentioned in today's video, here's my video about Southern Company:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW_jAVvhEqw
Want to learn about my recent Dr. Pepper Snapple sale and how I reinvested my profits? Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8npn2NqbzA
Want to learn about my very own "growth stock" experience in 2017? Here’s my experience with Bitcoin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAQHg6ag7jU
Disclosure: I am long Southern Comapny (SO). I own this stock in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

I invest for dividend income and cash flow. Today's video highlights a company I own in my personal stock portfolio that pays dividends on a monthly basis. I’m talking about the real estate investment trust (REIT) called Realty Income (O). Every single month, I receive a dividend payout from this stock, adding a lot of fluidity and predictability to my stream of passive income.
While Realty Income is not a core position in my portfolio, it is definitely a solid medium position, and a component of my team that plays a key role. In fact, it's my only position that pays dividends on a monthly basis. At a high level, I love this company because they are shareholder friendly. They are in business to pay monthly dividends, and take a shareholder-first approach.
Also, over the long term, Realty Income has handsomely beaten the S&P 500. When you look at its total return (capital appreciation and dividends), the S&P 500 has been left in the dust. While I invest for passive income (and beating the S&P 500 is not my primary concern), it's sure nice to have a stock with such a great track record.
Lately, REITs (and utilities too) have faced some downward pressure. As interest rates increase, yield investors have other alternatives. Also, as interest rates increase, debt-reliant companies may face some pressure as they refinance their debt. It is my belief that any interest rate risk can be passed along to Realty Income's customers during lease renewal, but we shall see.
In today's video, I cover a lot of ground:
* What is Realty Income?
* What do they do? How to triple net leases (NNN leases) work?
* A look at Realty Income's impressive historical performance.
* A look at some REIT-specific metrics such as years left on lease agreements, portfolio occupancy, and also funds from operation (FFO). (Perhaps my favorite part of the video.)
* Some risk factors with Realty Income – interest rate risk and tenant churn risk.
While today's video is a long one, I wanted to make sure to share insights on this stock because I receive so many questions here about my thoughts on monthly dividend payers. I also receive so many questions about real estate investment trusts (REITs). Today's video is sure to be a subscriber favorite!
Want to connect with me? I'm now on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
Want to learn more about my philosophy on monthly dividends? Today's video is actually part two of a two part series. Check out part one here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9wNZlxE78c
Want to see my controversial video on how I tend to beat the S&P 500? Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rhvz8-0TDY
These days, I also like Southern Company (SO). Due to rising interest rates and some analyst downgrades, I believe it’s on sale. Learn more here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW_jAVvhEqw
Want to learn more about my 2018 dividend investing goals? Here you go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGRmIeiep1g
Disclosure: I am long Realty Income (O), Southern Company (SO), Kimberly-Clark (KMB), and Procter & Gamble (PG). I own all four of these stocks in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

In the world of dividend investing and personal finance, I truly believe that dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) and direct stock purchase plans (DSPs) are incredibly underrated. While new technologies often get the spotlight, these old school stock investment vehicles are incredibly innovative, in my opinion. In today's video, learn why DRIPs can be beneficial for both new and seasoned dividend stock investors. And, learn how to get started!
At the end of the day, I get a lot of questions here on my YouTube channel about fees and commissions. It seems like all investors want to minimize fees. I also receive questions about getting started. Many feel that they just don't have enough money to start investing in dividend stocks. In my opinion, dividend reinvestment plans remove all barriers. They reduce (and often eliminate) fees, while bringing accessibility to smaller investors.
Today's video shares the pros and cons of dividend reinvestment plans! Some of the pros discussed include:
* Holding stock in your name (versus the street name, in the case of a stock brokerage).
* They can be free! In the case of General Mills, for example, their DRIP charges no fees for purchasing stock (other than the $15 1-time setup fee).
* DRIPs make it easy to dollar cost average, one of my favorite investing strategies of all time.
* DRIPs allow one to buy fractional shares, a critical component of my dividend investing strategy. (One is hard pressed to find other avenues that make it so easy to purchase fractional shares of stock.)
* As the name implies, DRIPs allow one to reinvest their dividends, accelerating their portfolio value.
* They keep one "in the game".
* They are easy!
Of course, there are some cons with DRIPs as well:
* Trades can be (very) slow. If one needs to time the market, DRIPs are just not going to work well. By contrast, such plans are great for "buy and hold" long-term investors, like myself.
* Fees can change over time. While a DRIP can be "free" right now, fees could pop up. It's important to watch the fee schedule very closely.
* Bookkeeping is a bit more involved when one makes regular purchases and reinvests dividends. (This really pertains to the dividend growth investing strategy overall.)
In my opinion, if more people knew about dividend reinvestment plans, they would not be so scared to start investing.
Worth noting, today's video also goes into the specific example of General Mills (ticker: GIS). This DRIP, other than the $15 setup fee, changes no fees for buying stock nor reinvesting dividends. (All fees are paid by the company on behalf of the shareholders.) Run by EQ (formerly Wells Fargo Shareholder Services), General Mills is the poster child of a great dividend reinvestment plan.
As mentioned in the video today, I recently purchased General Mills. Want to learn why? Here's my General Mills dividend stock analysis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z12Ac83Nz0Q
Mentioned in today's video, here's one of my earlier videos on DRIPs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWdptrcEKGo
Also mentioned, here's my "stay in the game" strategy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPQ3BQP0YFs
And, here's how I personally reinvest my dividends:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYjGs5rDMnw
Want to reach out? Let's connect on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
Disclosure: I am long General Mills (GIS). I own this stock in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

I am thrilled to review a popular dividend stock, one that I believe could be a dividend yield trap. (At least, that's my standpoint as a "hold forever" dividend growth investor.) I'm talking about L Brands (ticker LB), the company behind Victoria's Secret and Bath and Body Works. Get ready for a really fun dividend stock analysis video.
I start out with the reason everyone is looking at this stock pick right now. It's down 66% and is yielding 7.32% (on a starting yield basis).
Next, I go through my personal Pink bag. You'll get to find out what I have inside, including some really fun surprises. This part of the video sets the context, the background, for my dividend stock analysis.
It's now time to discuss the history of this company. Learn about Victoria's Secret and the high level challenges they are facing. Learn about Bath and Body works and why I'm not excited about the company. Learn about The Limited (the namesake of the company), and how it was sold and later went bankrupt (that's not good).
Overall, fashion is a fickle category. While I enjoy shopping and wearing the latest fashions, I avoid investing in this sector. Trends change too quickly. Today's investing video shares a few such examples including Under Armour and Abercrombie & Fitch.
Of course, today's stock analysis would not be complete without a deep dive into L Brands' numbers. I discuss the following:
* Their attractive PE Ratio (although not attractive enough, in my opinion)
* Their 7.32% starting dividend yield (not bad at all)
* Their high payout ratio and why the dividend may be a "dividend yield trap". I am concerned their dividend may be cut at some point.
* Their increasing stream of revenue (at the expense of profits)
* Their gross profit, operating profit, and net income
* Long term debt
* Number of stores
* So much more!
Overall, at a PE ratio of 7 or 8, this stock may make sense if I were a turnaround investor. That said, I am not. I am a long term dividend growth investor, so it just does not fit my investing persona.
That said, I do wish anyone who chooses to invest in L Brands all the success in the world!
Following are some other videos I mention in my L Brands stock analysis.
Here's why I love Procter & Gamble (PG) in 2018:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGRmIeiep1g
I recently reached 10,000 subscribers! Learn more in this video about my position in Unilever (UL):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeHOKjVftf4
Dividend investors need to be strong. Learn here even more about my position in Unilever (UL):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uqazqi9gpw
In the world of investing, I secretly care about capital appreciation. Here is why:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFiGELUCClo
McDonald's is my #3 favorite stock pick of all time. Learn why:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA1baKYgV_0
I'm a huge fan of Starbucks, another restaurant (retail) stock:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuBu0iSH64I
Disclosure: I am long Procter & Gamble (PG), Unilever (UL), McDonald's (MCD), and Starbucks (SBUX). I own all of these stocks in my stock portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and content are just for entertainment and fun. PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and content are NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and content are NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions. Please talk to your licensed tax advisor before making any tax decisions.
All PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and other content are (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

Dividend investing simply does not work! With the historical rate of inflation hovering around 3% per year (looking at 1913 - 2013), inflation simply eats away at one's dividend income (since many stocks I buy pay a starting yield of around 3%). Just kidding! Of course this is not the case. However, I receive this comment all the time, and many people believe this myth. Today's video looks at dividend growth investing versus inflation and shows why dividend investing works despite inflation.
Today's investing video gets a bit technical with some specific models. In an effort to make things simple (and based on long-time subscriber request), I'm thrilled to share with you my dividend investing Excel model today. You can download the model and follow along here:
http://www.ppcian.com/ppc-ian-dividend-investing-yield-on-cost-worksheet/
I start out today with a discussion of historical inflation. Personally, I think inflation is more in the 2% range. That said, I am willing to take 3% for the purposes of this video to be conservative.
Next, I dive into several models that show why starting yield doesn't really matter. It's all about dividend growth investing (not just dividend investing). The key term here is growth. Yes, starting yields can get cancelled out by inflation (at least partially), but I'm in it for the dividend growth. Most of the companies I own have a track record of raising their dividends each year. And, when one compounds many years of dividend increases, inflation is left in the dust! I'm personally experiencing dividend growth that far outpaces inflation.
Since my modeling is a little conservative, I next transition into some real world examples form my personal portfolio. I show some examples of recent dividend increases that are out of this world. With these types of dividend increases over time, inflation becomes a distant memory in the rear view mirror. Stocks covered include: Starbucks (SBUX), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), PepsiCo (PEP), Clorox (CLX), and McDonalds (MCD).
Last, I dive into a topic that I think most investors miss. In my opinion, dividend investors (more so than anyone) face the opportunity to decrease expenses. They have the opportunity to experience budget deflation, making the concept of inflation even less significant.
As humans, we tend to place roadblocks. We tend to get scared. In my humble opinion, it’s important to recognize inflation, but I certainly don't let it stand in the way of my dividend investing strategy. In terms of earning income to pay the bills, it really doesn't get much better than dividends, in my opinion.
Want to learn more about yield on cost? Here’s my original video on yield on cost that started it all:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw5uUeecFKk
Disclosure: I am long Starbucks (SBUX), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), PepsiCo (PEP), Clorox (CLX), and McDonald (MCD). I own all of these stocks in my stock portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and content are just for entertainment and fun. PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and content are NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and content are NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions. Please talk to your licensed tax advisor before making any tax decisions.
All PPC Ian videos, Excel files, and other content are (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

As a dividend growth investor, I often receive questions about my personal stock portfolio. I also receive a lot of questions about this concept of dividend growth and yield on cost. Today, I want to share a personal stock from my dividend portfolio, Clorox (CLX), and also explain how dividends can increase over time (giving one a huge yield on cost). This is perhaps the perfect time to share this video because Clorox just announced a massive 14% year over year dividend increase.
Today's video starts at the beginning, back in 2011 when I first purchased Clorox for $69 per share. I have made other purchases throughout the years, but today's video analyzes my initial purchase form a yield on cost standpoint. When I first purchased Clorox, my yield was 3.3%. However, due to a number of dividend increases over the years, my yield on cost is now 5.6% (on a go-forward basis). This, in a nutshell, is the power of dividend growth investing.
My example does not even include the power of reinvesting dividends to accelerate the passive income snowball! And, it does not encapsulate the fact that I do not need this income yet. I will continue to wait. When I'm ready for financial freedom, my yield on cost from Clorox should be even higher. After all, they have been increasing dividends each and every year since 1977.
To make this concept concrete, when was the last time you received a 14% year over year increase at work? How hard did you have to work to obtain such a raise? Clorox shareholders just received a raise for doing nothing other than holding the stock. That's the power of passive income vs. active income. Of course active income is important and we need active income to pay the bills (and invest in passive income vehicles). However, passive income is clearly easier, it's nearly effortless.
As a closing thought, please share any recent dividend increases in the comments section! One subscriber just connected with me on Instagram, and shared a massive 35% increase he experienced on another company, Abbvie. All I can say is , "Way to go!" Have you experienced any recent dividend increases? Seems like they may be accelerating due to tax reform.
Want to learn more about my personal stock portfolio composition? Learn how I classify stocks as core, medium, and small/ancillary. Clorox is considered a core stock. You can learn more here:
Want to learn about the company that I own that pays monthly dividends? You may want to check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-ANUrAsqMc
Want to connect with me on Instagram? I’m checking all the time, so please feel free to connect:
https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
Disclosure: I am long Clorox (CLX). I own this stock in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

Are you interested in investing in real estate? Are you trying to decide between REITs (real estate investment trusts) and physical rental properties? Today's video, my latest on dividend income and cash flow, approaches the topic of real estate investing from a variety of vantage points. As someone who works in the commercial real estate field and someone who has been investing in the stock market (for dividends and cash flow) for over 20 years, I share my personal perspectives.
In particular, I cover:
* Portfolio size required, if I were to invest in single family homes (and rent them out). With less than $200,000-$300,000 portfolio size, I personally would not consider individual rental properties (and would just stick with REITs).
* Concentration of risk and diversification. Buying just one or two single family homes (with the purpose of renting them out for passive income) can create quite the concentration of risk. By comparison, blue chip stocks (large REITs and other dividend-paying stocks) are very diversified in nature.
* Pros and cons of physical real estate.
* Ability to drive superior returns via physical real estate investments.
* Scrappy ways to get involved with real estate investments.
* Weighing the pros and cons of adding more complexity and overhead to one's life (physical real estate investments carry great responsibility and time commitment).
Related Video About Investing In REITs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4igBCbEAGo
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

I invest for dividends because I will one day live off dividends. One day, dividends will fully replace my earned income. With earned income (working a job and/or performing consulting), paychecks are rather regular. In fact, many jobs pay employees twice per month. Dividends, by contrast, are more lumpy. In the United States, dividend checks typically come quarterly. In the rest of the world, sometimes dividends are paid twice per year.
When one transitions from earned income to full time early retirement (also known as financial freedom), budgeting is key. Lumpy dividend payouts are more difficult to budget than a regular, twice per month paycheck. Today's video is about this very topic. Today's video covers strategies for making dividend payouts more regular and fluid, just like one's paycheck. I also cover strategies to get ready for either partial or full financial freedom.
In particular, I cover:
* Why having a cash buffer is so important heading into financial freedom. Financial freedom should carry less stress, not more stress. One does not want to wait for dividend checks to pay bills, and a cash buffer can be truly invaluable.
* Why I own a stock that pays monthly dividends. Why this company has a unique place in my portfolio and helps create more fluidity in my dividend income. While I only own one monthly dividend company, it sure plays an important role on my team.
* Why it's of critical importance to exercise discipline, both before and after financial freedom.
* In reality, how dividends are a bit more fluid in a more mature portfolio. As a dividend investor with over 20 years of experience and with over 30 positions in my portfolio, my dividends tend to stagger pretty well. Since different companies pay dividends different months, it all tends to even out.
Mentioned in today's video, I'm now on Instagram. You can find me here. Reach out and ask a question!
https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
At the end of the day, I will never let dividend schedule dictate a holding. I only invest based on fundamentals, not payout schedule. Here's one of my videos on fundamental stock analysis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDxYxsvPc_s
This year, I'm buying KMB and PG. I don't even know their dividend schedules, I just know they pay quarterly. (After all, I invest for fundamentals, not payout schedules.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGRmIeiep1g
Disclosure: I am long Kimberly-Clark (KMB) and Procter & Gamble (PG). I own both of these stocks in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

Several subscribers recently asked about my favorite dividend growth stock of all time. Specifically, they asked which dividend stock I would own if I had to place all of my investment funds in one single stock. My answer is quite simple, as Johnson & Johnson (ticker: JNJ) is already the largest position in my portfolio. Today's video explains why Johnson & Johnson is my favorite stock for dividends, complete with fundamental analysis.
I get started with some high level thoughts. Why do I like this stock so much? It really comes down to some high level concepts including:
* Predictability (and stability)
* Incredible margins (gross profit and operating)
* Population trends (aging US population and growing global population)
* More!
Next, I dive into my Johnson & Johnson fundamental stock analysis. Specifically, I discuss concepts including:
* Revenue Growth: I really enjoy how revenue is up 25% comparing 2007 and 2017. I also like how revenue tends to grow predictably on a year-by-year basis. It's like clockwork.
* US versus international mix. International sales are getting close to representing 50% of this company's mix.
* Incredible Margins: Gross profit is at 66.8% (wow!) and operating profit is at 23% (both from the 2017 annual report).
* Dividend growth: I invest for passive income and cash flow! I need to buy companies to put cash in my pocket, cash that can be used to pay the bills. Johson & Johnson is a great example, as they've raised their dividend over 105% comparing 2017 to 2007.
Despite stellar fundamentals, it looks like Johnson & Johnson has a PE ratio in the 22.94 range right now (possibly a bit lower). I backed into this number, since EPS is thrown off by one-time tax items. Certainly, the stock is priced for perfection, but it always seems to be! While I'm not buying this stock in 2018 (other than reinvesting dividends), I do want to buy more. I'm waiting for a correction, although I never expect a big one with this stock.
Of course, there are a few risk factors with JNJ. I close out discussing those potential risks:
* Patent expiration and the need to always innovate in their pharmaceutical division.
* Overall pricing of their products (the US health care system is broken).
Want to learn more about my dividend growth investing strategies? Here are a few popular videos on how I would hypnotically invest different sums of money.
Getting started with $1,000:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iijz-5vGSh0
Getting started with $5,000 in dividend stocks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bp0TzQKRr0
Getting started investing with $10,000:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i_3KAY1ZMo
Going big with $25,000 in dividend stocks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGrf5He8ieU
Investing $50,000 in income-producing securities:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ishEcrSTK-c
Want to connect on Instagram? Please make sure to say hi!
https://www.instagram.com/ianlopuch/
Disclosure: I am long Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). I own this stock in my portfolio.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

In 2017, I placed three angel investments in early stage technology startups. It was my biggest year yet as an angel investor. I also gained extensive experience with SAFE Agreements (Simple Agreement For Future Equity) and Convertible Notes. Learn about my experience with angel investing, and learn all about SAFE Agreements and Convertible Notes.
At a high level, I'm a cash flow investor at heart. And, I only allocate up to 10% of my portfolio for riskier investments like tech startups. However, I really value this 10% because I have not lost money yet on an angel investment, and it's a way to supercharge my returns. I can take profits from angel investments and reallocate to more traditional cash flow instruments.
Today's video includes:
* Definitions of SAFE Agreements and Convertible Notes.
* Pros and Cons of SAFE Agreements and Convertible Notes.
* The importance of timing and understanding when one's agreement will convert into real equity.
* The importance of the discount factor, and getting rewarded for getting in early (during the friends and family round).
* How valuation caps work and why they matter.
* Why it's key to avoid SAFE Agreements and Convertible Notes that have a buy out clause.
* The importance of performing extensive due diligence and looking at all numbers. (I avoid deals where I don't have access to numbers.)
* What it means to be an accredited investor, and how angel investments are typically restricted to accredited investors. That being said, even if one cannot invest, it's never too early to start building one's network.
As a closing thought, I love angel investing because it allows me to invest in my friends. It allows me to invest in dreams. That being said, I think some people get into angel investing for the wrong reasons. I keep my investments private (I typically don't list them online), since this is not a bragging competition.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

Today, I want to discuss a dividend stock that I personally want to buy in 2018. It's funny: This stock has been on my watch list for years and years. However, the starting dividend yield had always been "too low". I never went ahead and purchased. Today's analysis of 3M (ticker MMM) completely changed my perspective on this awesome dividend growth stock.
When it comes to dividend investing, there are two types of investors: Those that need their cash flow immediately and those that can wait a bit. I fall somewhere in the middle. I want the opportunity for immediate cash flow, but realistically I won't be living off dividends for quite some time. As such, I can sacrifice current yield for dividend growth.
3M is a classical example of a dividend growth stock. Current yield is never that impressive. Even after its big 25%+ drop this year, starting yield is only 2.8%. And, that's after a major correction. By contrast, Procter & Gamble (ticker PG) offers a 4.0% starting yield. Starting yield, however, can be very misleading for dividend investors who do not need cash flow tomorrow. I'm thrilled to compare these two stocks in today's video, and show how in only five years time, a 3M investor may come out ahead of a Procter & Gamble investor (assuming dividend growth rates from the past five years hold up).
Next, this video goes into a fundamental analysis of 3M itself. I discuss some interesting facts about this company, including:
* Their disruption proof market cap and product lineup.
* Their incredibly conservative amount of debt.
* Their quickly growing revenue (growing at a great clip for a company of this size).
* Their quickly growing operating profit.
* How operating margins have gone down a bit, but I look at that as a good thing (there is room for even more efficiency should they need to squeeze out margin in future years).
Last, I discuss some of the pros and cons. As with any investment, there are two sides to the story.
* In terms of pros, I like the: 100+ year operating history, fast dividend growth rate, current valuation (post 25% correction), potential to diversify my portfolio (heavily weighted in consumer non-cyclical) with another industrial.
* In terms of cons, I see potential fierce competition from China (and other countries), the need to reinvest existing products, and the need to continually innovate as important risk factors.
At the end of the day, it is very likely at this point that I take a position in 3M. I typically do not add many new positions to my portfolio, however I really like this gem. I end today's video with a discussion about the pros and cons of adding new positions, and how I need to be especially conscious given my number of positions.
Mentioned in today's video, here are a few related dividend investing videos of interest:
Johnson & Johnson, my favorite dividend stock of all time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkgzdwAqPho
I'm buying Procter & Gamble in 2018:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGRmIeiep1g
Starting yield does not matter:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zdEaSrWmNQ
Southern Company rocks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW_jAVvhEqw
Here's what I think about analysts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81pWwzH991k
Disclosure: I am long Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Procter & Gamble (PG), and Southern Company (SO). I own all three of these stocks in my portfolio. Also, it is likely I initiate a position in 3M (MMM) in the coming days.
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed investment advisor, and today's video is just for entertainment and fun. This video is NOT investment advice. Also, I'm not a tax advisor and today's video is NOT tax advice. Please talk to your licensed investment advisor before making any financial decisions.
All content on my YouTube channel is (c) Copyright IJL Productions LLC.

13,500,000 GRAM Plan to sell.
Telegram Open Network.
Multi-blockchain Proof-of-Stake system.
About Telegram Open Network.
Instant Hypercube Routing TON blockchains use smart routing mechanisms to ensure that transactions between any two blockchains will always be processed swiftly, regardless of the size of the system. The time needed to pass information between TON blockchains grows logarithmically with their number, so scaling to even millions of chains will allow them all to communicate at top speed.
TON Services TON Services provides a platform for third-party services of any kind that enables smartphone-like friendly interfaces for decentralized apps and smart contracts, as well as a World Wide Web-like decentralized browsing experience.
TON DNS TON DNS is a service for assigning human-readable names to accounts, smart contracts, services, and network nodes. With TON DNS, accessing decentralized services can be similar to viewing a website on the World Wide Web.

TON Payments TON Payments is a platform for micropayments and a micropayment channel network. It can be used for instant off-chain value transfers between users, bots, and other services. Safeguards built into the system ensure that these transfers are as secure as on-chain transactions.
The Telegram Team will rely on its 10-year experience in building user-friendly interfaces for tens of millions to create light wallets, exchanges, and identification services that will allow users to get on board with cryptocurrencies in an intuitive way.
Please, pay your attention that Cointelegraph is not responsible for the information on this ICO as there was no official statement so far. There is no official site either.
Telegram recently announced it would launch an ICO for its blockchain platform.
TON aims to deliver a fast, scalable blockchain with support for decentralised applications, distributed file storage, and micropayments.
TON blockchain.